Waitrose is enhancing its animal welfare practices for Italian continental meats.
- The retailer’s products like Parma ham, mortadella, and prosciutto are now produced confinement-free.
- Historically, Italian meats lagged behind British meats in animal welfare standards.
- Waitrose collaborates with The Compleat Food Group, winning a Good Pig Award in 2016.
- The move is supported by Compassion in World Farming and reflects growing consumer concern over animal welfare.
Waitrose has taken a significant step forward in enhancing the welfare standards for its own-brand Italian continental meats. By ensuring that all Parma ham, mortadella, and prosciutto products are now produced confinement-free, Waitrose is prioritising animal welfare, allowing animals more freedom and better living conditions with deep straw bedding.
This advancement comes in response to historical deficiencies where Italian continental meats’ animal welfare standards lagged significantly behind those of British-sourced meats. The British supermarket, in long-term collaboration with The Compleat Food Group, has pioneered innovations in this area, evidenced by their accolade as the first Italian meat producer to receive the prestigious Good Pig Award in 2016.
Waitrose continues its commitment to animal welfare by being entirely confinement-free in its UK farming operations and aims to replicate these high standards across all its continental meat supply chains by 2025. Jake Pickering, Waitrose’s Senior Agriculture Manager, emphasised the importance of this progress by stating, “This represents a huge step forward for the welfare standards within our Italian breeding, growing and finishing supply chains and means that well over 50% of our continental meat sales will now come from higher welfare pigs.“
The move is warmly welcomed by Compassion in World Farming. Louise Valducci, head of food business for Europe, remarked on the positive market implications, highlighting that “Consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and any company committing to cage-free production is sending a powerful signal to the market that it is not only the compassionate choice, but also achievable at scale.” This sentiment underscores the growing consumer demand for ethically sourced products, which retailers like Waitrose are starting to meet.
In summary, Waitrose’s commitment to higher animal welfare standards marks a significant advancement in the ethical production of Italian continental meats.
